Smith Tower – Seattle

10. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Image a Day · Tags: , , ,

When I woke up this morning I knew exactly what I was going to photograph today and what I would post tonight.   I knew, as last night I dreamt about the Smith Tower in Seattle.  How sad is that!  I no longer dream about – well the things I used to dream about, no, now I dream about 98 year old buildings (tragic!)

So despite the rain (and the fact that the 520 bridge is closed all weekend), I drove to downtown Seattle to shoot the tower.

Getting into the city wasn’t too bad, getting home was another thing altogether – took me over an hour as the I90 was the only way to cross Lake Washington and everyone wanted to go to the East Side with me.

Anyway I digress.  When I arrived in Seattle the rain had stopped so I parked up in the Yesler car park, jumped out of the car and started shooting.

I love this building it’s very cool.  It was built in 1914 and is 38 stories high (489 feet).  Until 1931 it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River (when the Kansas City Power & Lighting building went up) and the Smith Tower remained the tallest building on the West Coast until the Space Needle was built in 1962.

You can still go up the building today to the observation deck and I really recommend visiting if you get the chance.  For one thing the elevator ride is worth the visit alone.  The building has one of the last operator-controlled elevators on the west coast.  The building’s interior is very ornate with the gold ceilings, polished brass everywhere and woodcarvings on the walls – really nice.

I had an image in mind, but still walked all round the building trying lots of different views.  In the end the picture I liked the most was taken from 1st Ave looking up Yesler towards the tower.

I decided to post the image in black and white (well sepia really) as I think the Tower has that “old building” feel and looks great in this kind of image.

I have to say I’m really pleased with the end result; the image looks great and is exactly what I wanted.

Carter went for a swim tonight, he was a little scared as he watched Jaws this afternoon.  Of course there was nothing to be worried about, I mean what could possibly hurt you in a fish tank?

Crossroads Movie Theater – Bellevue

23. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Image a Day · Tags: ,

Microsoft campus is located in Redmond right on the Bellevue city border.  Just down the road from the campus (in Bellevue) there is an old Mall, which I was told is one of the oldest Malls in the state.  The Mall is really fun and full of eclectic stores.  It has a food court where old dudes play chess on the floor (with massive chess pieces) and outside the game shop (Uncles) you find guys (without girl friends) playing dungeon and dragon type games.

Anyway I digress, at the Mall is a movie theater (that’s a cinema to the Brits who read this) and at night they light it up and it looks fab!  A funny thing about this theater is that in the past Microsoft has hired out the whole place so the company can go a see a film (usually it’s something terribly geeky like Starwars).  The company calls it a team building event and I’ve been to a couple of these myself.  I just think it’s odd that Microsoft want us to “Build our team” in a dark room where nobody talks.  Odd eh?

Anyway I like the building at night and on the way home tonight I grabbed the shot below.

I don’t know why I like this one, maybe it’s what my imagination thinks the two guys on either side of Carter are saying!  I just think it’s funny.

Public Library – Seattle

28. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Image a Day · Tags: ,

This afternoon I went out with the camera to Seattle hoping to get some great shots in the city. Unfortunately it was raining when I got there and Pike Place Market was ridiculously busy 🙁

As a result I decided to find somewhere inside and found the city’s public library. Inside they have these amazing escalators that are lit with yellow lights. I must have looked a complete idiot lying on the floor waiting for people to get off the thing but nobody complained.

I did ask a passing employee if it was OK if I shot in there and he just smiled and said no problem as long as I don’t bother anybody.

The funny thing was I had to wait a while for an empty escalator shot and while waiting some guy came up to me and asked if I wanted a model for $10! Obviously (as you can see) I politely declined.

Always trying to keep amused tonight the guys played hide and seek.

Redmond Town Center – Redmond

06. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Image a Day · Tags: , ,

So on the way home tonight I went to Redmond Town Center to take some pictures. I actually got 4 really nice shots (others will follow in the future) before a guy from Security came up to me. This is how the conversation went:

Security Guy: What you doing?
Me: Taking a picture.
Security Guy: What of?
Me: That over there (pointing in direction of camera)
Security Guy: I’m afraid you can’t photograph here.
Me: Why not?
Security Guy: Well it’s to do with security, you know, ever since 9/11
Me: So your worried that al-Qaeda will see my picture and bomb Red Mango?
Security Guy: Well no but you can’t have any shop signage in your pictures
Me: I don’t, here look through the view finder
<He looks, see’s there are no shop signs – clearly doesn’t know what to do, this has never happened before>
Security Guy: It’s just that my manager, oh
<now another security guard turns up, a girl, clearly his boss>
Security Girl: Hello Sir, what are you doing?
Me: I just told him
<I point to the 18 year old spotty security guard I was just talking to>
Security Girl: It’s just that you can’t take pictures here unless you photograph your family.
Me: Why?
Security Girl: It’s private property and we have a policy that says so
<Now passers by are stopping to ask what’s going on>
Woman: What’s going on?
Me: They won’t let me take pictures here, apparently it’s a terrorist concern since 9/11, I can only photograph my family
Security Girl: I didn’t say that
Me: No but he did
<Me pointing to 18 year old spotty>
Women: I can pretend to be your wife if you want
<People are laughing now>
Security Girl: Look she’s not your wife and we don’t allow professional photographers take pictures here
Me: I’m not professional, I work for Microsoft
Security Girl: Sorry your going to have to give me your images
Me: No I don’t, it’s not sign posted anywhere and you don’t have the right, call the police if you don’t believe me
<now passers by are booing the Security Guards>
People: Let him take his pictures…
Security Girl: No it’s private property
Me: Where does your property line finish?
Security Girl: Over there by the road
Me: So can I go and set up there?
<She is really getting pissed off with me now and I’m starting to laugh>

At this point I start packing up, and leave people behind me arguing with the security guards.

Needless to say, no more camera visits to Redmond Town Center 🙂

What can I say, I love toast and thought it was time for props:

Space Needle – Kerry Park Seattle

01. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Image a Day · Tags: ,

So here we are day 1.

As I live in Seattle (well Redmond which is down the road – kind of), I thought I would start the year with a Space Needle shot.

Not much to say here, I dragged the family out of the house (with a visiting niece) and hit down town.  There were too many people there taking pictures so I couldn’t go for a wide shot so this it pretty tight.

Anyway here is the image:

And following the recent post on my updated New Year’s resolution, here is the “Fun” image…

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